MAHONING COUNTY Documents on forest annexation were never filed, mayor says

The annexation process stalled after 2001.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
POLAND -- A large part of Poland Municipal Forest remains in Boardman Township because paperwork for its annexation to the village of Poland, approved years ago, was never properly filed.
And now, a pending rule allowing loose dogs in the forest is raising a question over which municipality is responsible if there's a complaint about a dog.
The village owns the 250 acres of park area, but most of it has always actually been in Boardman.
Sometime in the mid- to late '90s, the issue of ownership came up when there was confusion over which police department -- Boardman or Poland Village -- was responsible for patrolling the area.
Poland village Mayor Ruth Wilkes said an agreement was reached with Boardman at that time that village police would patrol it.
Several members of the village, however, started the process of annexing the property. Mahoning County commissioners accepted a petition in December 2000 from village residents. Village council voted unanimously in January 2001 to accept annexation of the more than 200 acres of property in Boardman Township.
According to Wilkes, that's where the process stopped. She said the paperwork for annexing the land wasn't properly filed.
Representatives of the county auditor's office said there is a resolution on file in that office from county commissioners approving the annexation, but no record of the actual document-filing to make the annexation official.
Documents misplaced
Wilkes said the original documents have been misplaced and will have to be found before the property can be officially annexed. She said village officials have been involved in other matters and the annexation had not been a priority but will be completed eventually.
"We just have to get a new piece of parchment, have them sign it, have us sign it and get it filed," she said.
A pending change in forest rules may add urgency to the annexation proceedings. The forest board passed a motion that would allow dog owners to let their pets roam without a leash in areas of the park west of Butler Trail. The resolution is still awaiting council approval.
In Boardman
According to Wilkes, the area west of Butler Trail is part of the park that is in Boardman.
Boardman Police Chief Jeffrey Patterson said he has no problem with Poland Village police patrolling the park.
Patterson noted, however, that village council may not have the authority to approve a motion giving dog owners the right to let their dogs run free if the area in question is in Boardman Township. Patterson said he will have to check with legal council on the matter.
Boardman Township has home-rule legislation to address loose dogs. Patterson said the township police department generally addresses loose-dog problems on a complaint basis, and officers would have to respond to a complaint of a dog attack from the section of woods in Boardman.
"As far as I am concerned, the ordinance is in effect for the section of the park in Boardman until it is annexed," he said. "The township ordinance, I believe, would supersede any park rules."
jgoodwin@vindy.com